The G1 Has Landed

I received my G1 around 11 this morning and I rushed home just to get it.

I've took some pictures, as is customary for reviewers.  I am not a professional photographer but I have compared the G1 to some known PDA and phones.

First, why did I get the G1?  Well, I like new gadgets.  I am a gadget-fan.  I love my iPhone, iPods, PDAs, and laptops.

Now, I'm going to come at G1 from the prespective of an user.  And G1 owner.  No quicky reviews.   Quick reviews make it easy for us to understand what the product can or can't do but it does tell us how it helps us through the day.

I'm going to provide my first impressions and then over time talks about the specifics in the context of how I use the G1 and Android over days.

First, I have to say the GPS is pretty cool.  It's must first porable GPS and it was cool to watch it move, watch me move, on the map.

Here are some first impressions.

• Okay.  It's big.  I was afraid it was going to be too big but as you can tell from the pictures, it's not too bad.  Still with the iPhone in my pocket, you almost forget it's there but with the G1, you know it's there.  
• Set up was easy.  Everyone has a Google Account so it's not an issue.  The thing is that I've got more than one Google account.  So far, I haven't figured out a way to set up another one and still get push mail.  I have set it up with the regular mail function.  
• G1 comes with the GPS feature off.  Make sure you turn it on.  It doesn't tell you that.  
• G1 has a protection scheme for unlocking the screen.  Basically, you have to unlock it by connecting four points with the points lined up 3x3.
• Apps running in the background.  This is something that isn't possible on the iPhone.  This is something Blackberry is very good at.  I've yet to run G1 on a full charge with apps running in the background.  I'll let you know about it when I get a chance to have a full few days use.
• The majority of the apps were taken off the Android Marketplace for some reason.  I don't know why.  I read online it may because of maintenance.  
• I'm looking forward to using the Amazon's MP3 store.  iTunes has spoiled me and I want to see how this works out.  If there is a reason for me to go with a DRM-free store, Amazon on G1 might be it.  

Typing:   I'm used to the iPhone's touch-screen.  Typing is easy and no pressure is needed.  But for folks used to pressing on keys, the touchscreen can be difficult to get used to.  Conversely, I'm trying to get used to typing on the G1's keyboard.  So far, my right hand is a bit soar.  

I think that's largely due to the heightened protrusion on the right-hand side.  I can't understand why they made it like that.  As far as I am concerned, it's a design flaw.  It is not a big big deal but you can get tired with the right hand, especially when you have to reach across to get to "y" on the keyboard.  I found myself compensating with my left thumb.  

But over all, it works as advertised.  If anything, I do hope that future Android updates will have an iPhone like keyboard so you don't have to slide out the screen every time you need to type something.

Browsing:  It's great.  Let's not compare it to the iPhone's Safari.  Let's compare it to everything else.  I have to say Opera mobile is a good comparison.  The implementation is easy and one of the best mobile Internet experiences so far.  Because it's a combination of touch and keyboard, I'm gonna have to learn to use the shortcuts if there are any.  I really enjoy using the Webkit-based browser.  

Instant Messaging:  I've got the $25 plan which means I get 400 text messages.  Well, I can't confirm this just yet but if you happen to use the IM, it might count as a text message.  It's the only explanation I have for the diminishing text message counts available because I haven't used it all day.  14 Messages in one day.  Previous record was five.  Something's not right.  

Anyway, I've got more views coming including the battery life, music, app store, camera quality, and more!